Striate Cortex Potentials Related to Eye Movements in the Light and in Darkness in the Waking Human

Abstract

Potentials in relation to eye movements were studied by means of direct recording of the striate cortex in a waking man. In a lighted environment, the usual evoked potential—lambda response—was obtained and was clearly visible after each eye movement. In complete darkness no individual potential was observable by means of visual analysis after each eye movement, but a slow potential of low amplitude could be obtained by superimposition and averaging of the cortical striate activity time-locked to the start of a series of eye movements. This eye-movement potential showed a longer latency and a lower amplitude than the lambda response. These data are discussed in reference to those obtained in the cat and the monkey; the significance of this eye-movement potential in darkness as a ‘corollary discharge’ is considered.